System and method for installing a client application using a light installer

ABSTRACT

A light installer can be utilized to improve the installation process of a client-side application. A light installer can be an installer containing only the necessary information to initiate the installation process, such as information necessary for prompting the user for required data and authorizations, communicating with the content management system, downloading additional resources, and installing the client-side application. The light installer can minimize user interaction time by obtaining all necessary user authorizations early in the installation process, thereby enabling the light installer to install all components of the client-side application without further authorization from the user. Further, the light installer can be tagged with data identifying a user account associated with the client device that can be used for reporting, pre-populating data during the installation process, customizing the installation process, pre-authorizing the client-side application, etc.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No.61/846,968, filed on Jul. 16, 2013, which is expressly incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology pertains to installing a client-side application,and more specifically pertains to utilizing a light installer to installthe client-side application.

BACKGROUND

Many cloud services can be accessed from a client device using a webbrowser or a client-side application associated with the cloud service.While a client-side application can provide additional functionality,users often choose to use the web browser because the client-sideapplication must be downloaded and installed on their client device,whereas a web browser application is often already available to theuser. Downloading the client-side application can be burdensome for theuser. For example, the download and installation process can be lengthyand require the user to remain at their client device to provideperiodic input for the download and installation process to continue.

As a result, many users will not complete the download and installationprocess because the process takes too long. Users may exit the downloadand installation process prematurely, lose interest, or forget that thedownload and installation is being performed. An additional problem thatcan occur is that, in some instances, a user will create a new accountwhen installing the client-side application, rather than using theaccount credentials used when accessing the service through the webbrowser.

In addition to these potential problems associated with downloading andinstalling a client-side application, data identifying the problemsfaced by the users is often unavailable. For example, the downloadprocess is often initiated prior to receiving any user logininformation, and thus it may not be possible to tell which users arehaving issues. Further, data indicating that the user reached apredetermined milestone in the download and installation process mayalso not be available. Accordingly, an improved system is needed.

SUMMARY

Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forthin the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or can be learned by practice of the herein disclosedprinciples. The features and advantages of the disclosure can berealized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinationsparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and otherfeatures of the disclosure will become more fully apparent from thefollowing description and appended claims, or can be learned by thepractice of the principles set forth herein.

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readablestorage media for utilizing a light installer to install a client-sideapplication on a client device. A light installer can be an installercontaining only the necessary information to initiate the installationprocess, such as information necessary for prompting the user forrequired data and authorizations, communicating with the contentmanagement system, downloading additional resources, and installing theclient-side application. By minimizing the size of the light installer,the light installer can be downloaded quickly and installation of theclient-side application can begin shortly thereafter.

Further, the light installer can be configured to minimize userinteraction time with the installation process. For example, the lightinstaller can be configured to prompt the user for any necessaryinformation and authorizations early in the installation process.Further, the light installer can request admin authorization enablingthe light installer to install all components of the client-sideapplication without further authorization from the user. The combinationof quick download time, pushing all user interaction earlier in theinstallation process, and obtaining admin authorization can result ingreatly minimizing the time from a user requesting to install theclient-side application to the user providing all necessary input forthe installation. This can increase the probability that a user willcomplete the installation of the client-side application.

In some embodiments, the content management system can tag the lightinstaller with data that will be used during the installation process.For example, the light installer can be tagged with data identifying auser account associated with the client device. The tagged data can beused for reporting, pre-populating data during the installation process,customizing the installation process, etc.

Further, in some embodiments, the tagged data can be used topre-authorize the client-side application upon completion of theinstallation process. Pre-authorizing the client-side application caninclude automatically logging the client-side application into anaccount associated with the client device. This can include granting theclient-side application access to the user account on the contentmanagement system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-recited and other advantages and features of the disclosurewill become apparent by reference to specific embodiments thereof whichare illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and are nottherefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the principlesherein are described and explained with additional specificity anddetail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary configuration of devices and a network inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary method embodiment of tagging a lightinstaller;

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary method embodiment of installing a client-sideapplication using a light installer;

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary method embodiment of pre-authorizing aclient-side application to access a user account; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B show exemplary possible system embodiments.

DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the disclosure are discussed in detail below.While specific implementations are discussed, it should be understoodthat this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled inthe relevant art will recognize that other components and configurationsmay be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

The disclosed technology addresses the need in the art for utilizing alight installer to install a client-side application on a client device.A light installer can be an installer containing only the necessaryinformation to initiate the installation process, such as informationnecessary for prompting the user for required data and authorizations,communicating with the content management system, downloading additionalresources, and installing the client-side application. By minimizing thesize of the light installer, the light installer can be downloadedquickly and installation of the client-side application can beginshortly thereafter.

Further, the light installer can be configured to minimize userinteraction time with the installation process. For example, the lightinstaller can be configured to prompt the user for any necessaryinformation and authorizations early in the installation process.Further, the light installer can request admin authorization enablingthe light installer to install all components of the client-sideapplication without further authorization from the user. The combinationof quick download time, pushing all user interaction earlier in theinstallation process, and obtaining admin authorization can result ingreatly minimize the time from a user requesting to install theclient-side application to the user providing all necessary input forthe installation. This can increase the probability that the user willcomplete the installation of the client-side application.

In some embodiments, the content management system can tag the lightinstaller with data that will be used during the installation process.For example, the light installer can be tagged with data identifying auser account associated with the client device. The tagged data can beused for reporting, pre-populating data during the installation process,customizing the installation process, etc.

Further, in some embodiments, the tagged data can be used topre-authorize the client-side application upon completion of theinstallation process. Pre-authorizing the client-side application caninclude pre-populating user account credentials. Alternatively,pre-authorizing can include automatically logging the client-sideapplication into an account associated with the client device. This caninclude granting the client-side application access to the user accounton the content management system.

An exemplary system configuration 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1, whereinelectronic devices communicate via a network for purposes of exchangingcontent and other data. The system can be configured for use on a widearea network such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. However, the presentprinciples are applicable to a wide variety of network configurationsthat facilitate the intercommunication of electronic devices. Forexample, each of the components of system 100 in FIG. 1 can beimplemented in a localized or distributed fashion in a network.

In system 100, a user can interact with content management system 106through client devices 102 ₁, 102 ₂, . . . , 102 _(n) (collectively“102”) connected to network 104 by direct and/or indirect communication.Content management system 106 can support connections from a variety ofdifferent client devices, such as desktop computers; mobile computers;mobile communications devices, e.g. mobile phones, smart phones,tablets; smart televisions; set-top boxes; and/or any other networkenabled computing devices. Client devices 102 can be of varying type,capabilities, operating systems, etc. Furthermore, content managementsystem 106 can concurrently accept connections from and interact withmultiple client devices 102.

A user can interact with content management system 106 via a client-sideapplication installed on client device 102 _(i). In some embodiments,the client-side application can include a content management systemspecific component. For example, the component can be a stand-aloneapplication, one or more application plug-ins, and/or a browserextension. However, the user can also interact with content managementsystem 106 via a third-party application, such as a web browser, thatresides on client device 102 _(i) and is configured to communicate withcontent management system 106. In either case, the client-sideapplication can present a user interface (UI) for the user to interactwith content management system 106. For example, the user can interactwith the content management system 106 via a client-side applicationintegrated with the file system or via a webpage displayed using a webbrowser application.

Content management system 106 can make it possible for a user to storecontent, as well as perform a variety of content management tasks, suchas retrieve, modify, browse, and/or share the content. Furthermore,content management system 106 can make it possible for a user to accessthe content from multiple client devices 102. For example, client device102 _(i) can upload content to content management system 106 via network104. The content can later be retrieved from content management system106 using the same client device 102 _(i) or some other client device102 _(j).

To facilitate the various content management services, a user can createan account with content management system 106. The account informationcan be maintained in user account database 150. User account database150 can store profile information for registered users. In some cases,the only personal information in the user profile can be a usernameand/or email address. However, content management system 106 can also beconfigured to accept additional user information.

User account database 150 can also include account managementinformation, such as account type, e.g. free or paid; usage information,e.g. file edit history; maximum storage space authorized; storage spaceused; content storage locations; security settings; personalconfiguration settings; content sharing data; etc. Account managementmodule 124 can be configured to update and/or obtain user accountdetails in user account database 150. The account management module 124can be configured to interact with any number of other modules incontent management system 106.

An account can be used to store content, such as digital data,documents, text files, audio files, video files, etc., from one or moreclient devices 102 authorized on the account. The content can alsoinclude folders of various types with different behaviors, or othermechanisms of grouping content items together, such as collections,playlists, albums, etc. For example, an account can include a publicfolder that is accessible to any user. The public folder can be assigneda web-accessible address. A link to the web-accessible address can beused to access the contents of the public folder. In another example, anaccount can include a photos folder that is intended for photos and thatprovides specific attributes and actions tailored for photos; an audiofolder that provides the ability to play back audio files and performother audio related actions; or other special purpose folders. Anaccount can also include shared folders or group folders that are linkedwith and available to multiple user accounts. The permissions formultiple users may be different for a shared folder.

The content can be stored in content storage 160. Content storage 160can be a storage device, multiple storage devices, or a server.Alternatively, content storage 160 can be a cloud storage provider ornetwork storage accessible via one or more communications networks.Content management system 106 can hide the complexity and details fromclient devices 102 so that client devices 102 do not need to knowexactly where the content items are being stored by content managementsystem 106. In one variation, content management system 106 can storethe content items in the same folder hierarchy as they appear on clientdevice 102 _(i). However, content management system 106 can store thecontent items in its own order, arrangement, or hierarchy. Contentmanagement system 106 can store the content items in a networkaccessible storage (SAN) device, in a redundant array of inexpensivedisks (RAID), etc. Content storage 160 can store content items using oneor more partition types, such as FAT, FAT32, NTFS, EXT2, EXT3, EXT4,ReiserFS, BTRFS, and so forth.

Content storage 160 can also store metadata describing content items,content item types, and the relationship of content items to variousaccounts, folders, or groups. The metadata for a content item can bestored as part of the content item or can be stored separately. In onevariation, each content item stored in content storage 160 can beassigned a system-wide unique identifier.

Content storage 160 can decrease the amount of storage space required byidentifying duplicate files or duplicate segments of files. Instead ofstoring multiple copies, content storage 160 can store a single copy andthen use a pointer or other mechanism to link the duplicates to thesingle copy. Similarly, content storage 160 can store files moreefficiently, as well as provide the ability to undo operations, by usinga file version control that tracks changes to files, different versionsof files (including diverging version trees), and a change history. Thechange history can include a set of changes that, when applied to theoriginal file version, produce the changed file version.

Content management system 106 can be configured to support automaticsynchronization of content from one or more client devices 102. Thesynchronization can be platform agnostic. That is, the content can besynchronized across multiple client devices 102 of varying type,capabilities, operating systems, etc. For example, client device 102_(i) can include client software, which synchronizes, via asynchronization module 132 at content management system 106, content inclient device 102 _(i)'s file system with the content in an associateduser account. In some cases, the client software can synchronize anychanges to content in a designated folder and its sub-folders, such asnew, deleted, modified, copied, or moved files or folders. The clientsoftware can be a separate software application, can integrate with anexisting content management application in the operating system, or somecombination thereof. In one example of client software that integrateswith an existing content management application, a user can manipulatecontent directly in a local folder, while a background process monitorsthe local folder for changes and synchronizes those changes to contentmanagement system 106. Conversely, the background process can identifycontent that has been updated at content management system 106 andsynchronize those changes to the local folder. The client software canprovide notifications of synchronization operations, and can provideindications of content statuses directly within the content managementapplication. Sometimes client device 102 _(i) may not have a networkconnection available. In this scenario, the client software can monitorthe linked folder for file changes and queue those changes for latersynchronization to content management system 106 when a networkconnection is available. Similarly, a user can manually stop or pausesynchronization with content management system 106.

A user can also view or manipulate content via a web interface generatedand served by user interface module 122. For example, the user cannavigate in a web browser to a web address provided by contentmanagement system 106. Changes or updates to content in the contentstorage 160 made through the web interface, such as uploading a newversion of a file, can be propagated back to other client devices 102associated with the user's account. For example, multiple client devices102, each with their own client software, can be associated with asingle account and files in the account can be synchronized between eachof the multiple client devices 102.

Content management system 106 can include a communications interface 120for interfacing with various client devices 102 _(i) and can interactwith other content and/or service providers 109 ₁, 109 ₂, . . . , 109_(n) (collectively “109”) via an Application Programming Interface(API). Certain software applications can access content storage 160 viaan API on behalf of a user. For example, a software package, such as anapp on a smartphone or tablet computing device, can programmaticallymake calls directly to content management system 106, when a userprovides credentials, to read, write, create, delete, share, orotherwise manipulate content. Similarly, the API can allow users toaccess all or part of content storage 160 through a web site.

Content management system 106 can also include authenticator module 126,which can verify user credentials, security tokens, API calls, specificclient devices, and so forth, to ensure only authorized clients andusers can access files. Further, content management system 106 caninclude analytics module 134 module that can track and report onaggregate file operations, user actions, network usage, total storagespace used, as well as other technology, usage, or business metrics. Aprivacy and/or security policy can prevent unauthorized access to userdata stored with content management system 106.

Content management system 106 can include sharing module 130 formanaging sharing content publicly or privately. Sharing content publiclycan include making the content item accessible from any computing devicein network communication with content management system 106. Sharingcontent privately can include linking a content item in content storage160 with two or more user accounts so that each user account has accessto the content item. The sharing can be performed in a platform agnosticmanner. That is, the content can be shared across multiple clientdevices 102 of varying type, capabilities, operating systems, etc. Thecontent can also be shared across varying types of user accounts.

In some embodiments, content management system 106 can be configured tomaintain a content directory identifying the location of each contentitem in content storage 160. The content directory can include a uniquecontent entry for each content item stored in the content storage.

A content entry can include a content path that can be used to identifythe location of the content item in a content management system. Forexample, the content path can include the name of the content item and afolder hierarchy associated with the content item. For example, thecontent path can include a folder or path of folders in which thecontent item is placed as well as the name of the content item. Contentmanagement system 106 can use the content path to present the contentitems in the appropriate folder hierarchy.

A content entry can also include a content pointer that identifies thelocation of the content item in content storage 160. For example, thecontent pointer can include the exact storage address of the contentitem in memory. In some embodiments, the content pointer can point tomultiple locations, each of which contains a portion of the contentitem.

In addition to a content path and content pointer, a content entry canalso include a user account identifier that identifies the user accountthat has access to the content item. In some embodiments, multiple useraccount identifiers can be associated with a single content entryindicating that the content item has shared access by the multiple useraccounts.

To share a content item privately, sharing module 130 can be configuredto add a user account identifier to the content entry associated withthe content item, thus granting the added user account access to thecontent item. Sharing module 130 can also be configured to remove useraccount identifiers from a content entry to restrict a user account'saccess to the content item.

To share content publicly, sharing module 130 can be configured togenerate a custom network address, such as a uniform resource locator(URL), which allows any web browser to access the content in contentmanagement system 106 without any authentication. To accomplish this,sharing module 130 can be configured to include content identificationdata in the generated URL, which can later be used to properly identifyand return the requested content item. For example, sharing module 130can be configured to include the user account identifier and the contentpath in the generated URL. Upon selection of the URL, the contentidentification data included in the URL can be transmitted to contentmanagement system 106 which can use the received content identificationdata to identify the appropriate content entry and return the contentitem associated with the content entry.

In addition to generating the URL, sharing module 130 can also beconfigured to record that a URL to the content item has been created. Insome embodiments, the content entry associated with a content item caninclude a URL flag indicating whether a URL to the content item has beencreated. For example, the URL flag can be a Boolean value initially setto 0 or false to indicate that a URL to the content item has not beencreated. Sharing module 130 can be configured to change the value of theflag to 1 or true after generating a URL to the content item.

In some embodiments, sharing module 130 can also be configured todeactivate a generated URL. For example, each content entry can alsoinclude a URL active flag indicating whether the content should bereturned in response to a request from the generated URL. For example,sharing module 130 can be configured to only return a content itemrequested by a generated link if the URL active flag is set to 1 ortrue. Thus, access to a content item for which a URL has been generatedcan be easily restricted by changing the value of the URL active flag.This allows a user to restrict access to the shared content item withouthaving to move the content item or delete the generated URL. Likewise,sharing module 130 can reactivate the URL by again changing the value ofthe URL active flag to 1 or true. A user can thus easily restore accessto the content item without the need to generate a new URL.

While content management system 106 is presented with specificcomponents, it should be understood by one skilled in the art, that thearchitectural configuration of system 106 is simply one possibleconfiguration and that other configurations with more or less componentsare also possible. For example, in some embodiments, content managementsystem 106 can provide a light installer to client device 102 _(i)configured to install the client-side application enabling client device102 _(i) to interact with content management system 106. A lightinstaller can be an application configured to minimize the user time andinteraction necessary to install the client-side application on clientdevice 102 _(i), thus increasing the likelihood that installation of theclient-side application will be completed.

To accomplish this, content management system 106 can include clientinstallation module 136 configured to provide the light installer toclient device 102 _(i), and communicate with the light installer to aidin installation of the client-side application on client device 102_(i). To minimize the amount user time and interaction necessary toinstall the client-side application, the light installer can includeonly the data necessary to initiate installation of the client-sideapplication. For example, the light installer can include just the datanecessary to enable client device 102 _(i) to interact with contentmanagement system 106 to begin the installation process, as well asprompt the user for any required information and/or authorizations.

By reducing the size of the light installer to include only the datanecessary to initiate installation of the client-side application, thedownload time necessary to begin installing the light installer can bereduced considerably. This can result in the user initiating theinstallation process of the client-side application as soon as possibleafter requesting to download the client-side application, thusminimizing the chance that a user will forget to complete or abort theprocess.

Further, the light installer can be configured to minimize the userinteraction time necessary to install the client-side application. Forexample, the installation process may require a user to enter necessaryinformation such as a username, password, contact information, etc.Further, the installation process may require a user to authorize thelight installer to install the client-side application on client device102 _(i). This can include granting the light installer admin rights tofreely install any further components of the light installer. Tominimize the user interaction time, the light installer can beconfigured to prompt the user for any required information early in theinstallation process. Further, the light installer can be configured toprompt the user to grant the light installer admin rights to install anyfurther components of the client-side application. By obtaining therequired information and authorizations from the user early in theinstallation process, the user can quickly perform all necessaryinteractions without waiting for a prolonged time or having torepeatedly return to the installer, resulting in the user losinginterest or forgetting about the installation.

To provide client device 102 _(i) with the light installer, clientinstallation module 136 can be configured to transmit the lightinstaller to client device 102 _(i) in response to client device 102_(i) requesting to install the client-side application. For example, auser can interact with content management system 106 using a differentapplication such as a web browser or app store application to request toinstall the client-side application on client device 102 _(i). Inresponse to receiving the request, client installation module 136 can beconfigured to transmit the light installer to client device 102 _(i).

Once the light installer has been downloaded to client device 102 _(i),the light installer can initiate installation of the client-sideapplication. This can include prompting the user for required data andauthorizations, creating application folders on client device 102 _(i),and transmitting gathered data to content management system 106, andrequesting resources required to complete the installation of theclient-side application.

In some embodiments, client installation module 136 can be configured totag the light installer with information prior to transmitting the lightinstaller to client device 102 _(i). Tagging the light installer withinformation can include embedding data within the light installer.

In some embodiments, client installation module 136 can be configured totag the light installer with data associating the light installer withan existing user account on content management system 106. For example,a user that created a user account using a web browser application maywish to install the client-side application. Client installation module136 can be configured to determine that the requesting user has anexisting account and tag the light installer with data based on theexisting account. For example, the data can include a unique accountidentifier used to identify the existing user account.

To determine whether the requesting user has an existing user account,in some embodiments, client installation module 136 can be configured todetect whether the requesting user is currently logged into a useraccount when the request to download the client-side application wasmade. For example, a user may be logged into their user account using aweb browser application and then request to download the client-sideapplication via the web browser application. If client installationmodule 136 detects that the requesting user is currently logged into anexisting user account, client installation module 136 can then determinethat the requesting user has an existing user account.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, client installation module 136 canbe configured to detect that the requesting user has an existing useraccount based on client device 102 _(i). For example, in someembodiments, client installation module 136 can be configured to gathera unique identifier identifying client device 102 _(i) and then use theunique identifier to search for any user accounts authorized on clientdevice 102 _(i). In some embodiments, client installation module 136 canreceive the unique identifier from client device 102 _(i) as part of therequest to download the client-side application. Alternatively, clientinstallation module 136 can be configured to communicate with clientdevice 102 _(i) to request and receive the unique identifier.

The data tagged to the light installer can be used for numerouspurposes. In some embodiments, the tagged data can be used for reportingpurposes. For example, the light installer can be configured toperiodically transmit information to content management system 106notifying content management system 106 about the progress of theinstallation of the client-side application. This periodic reporting caninclude the embedded data identifying the user account, thus enablingthe content management system to associate the progress report with anexisting account. If the user fails to complete the installation,content management system 106 can send a reminder or incentive to theuser.

The light installer can be configured to transmit the reporting messageswhen the installation process reaches certain predetermined milestones,such as the user entering the requested data, the user providingauthorization, specified percentage of data being downloaded, downloadcompleting, etc. Further, the light installer can be configured totransmit reporting messages if an error or problem arises during theinstallation process, or alternatively, if the installation process iscanceled.

In addition to reporting, the tagged data can also be used to ensurethat the user uses their existing account to install the client-sideapplication, rather than creating a new account. In some instances, auser may accidentally or unknowingly enter new login information wheninstalling the client-side application, thus resulting in two separateuser accounts on content management system 106. This is undesirablebecause the user's content will be split across the two accountscreating user confusion, or the user may abandon the first accountleading to the potential for many unused user accounts within contentmanagement system 106.

To discourage the user from creating a new account when installing theclient-side application, in some embodiments, the data tagged to thelight installer can be used to pre-populate user account data, such asuser credentials. For example, the data tagged to the light installercan include an e-mail address or username associated with the user'sexisting user account. This data can be pre-populated in the appropriatefield during installation, thus prompting the user to enter theappropriate password associated with the user account.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, the light installer can beconfigured to prompt a user differently based on the data tagged to thelight installer. For example, if the light installer is tagged with dataidentifying an existing user account, the light installer can beconfigured to prompt the user to enter a username and password for anexisting user account. Alternatively, if the light installer is nottagged with data or tagged with data indicating that there is noexisting user account associated with the requesting user, the lightinstaller can prompt the user to enter data to create a new account.

Further, in some embodiments, the data tagged to the light installer canbe used to pre-authorize the client-side account upon installation beingcompleted. Pre-authorizing the client-side application can includepre-populating user account credentials. Alternatively, pre-authorizingcan include automatically logging the user into their account. Toaccomplish this, the user credentials supplied via the web browser canbe provided to the client-side application to authorize access to thesame user account, such as through a secure token exchange. Thus a userthat logs into their account using a web browser application and theninitiates installation of the client-side application while still loggedin to their account, can be automatically logged into their account onthe client-side application as part of the installation process.

In this type of embodiment, upon receiving a request from client device102 _(i) to install the client-side application, client installationmodule 136 can be configured to determine if the requesting user iscurrently logged into a user account. For example, client installationmodule 136 can determine if client device 102 _(i) has logged into auser account using, for example, a web browser application. If clientinstallation module 136 determines that client device 102 _(i) is loggedinto a user account, client installation module 136 can tag the lightinstaller with data identifying the user account. The light installercan then transmit the tagged data identifying the user account tocontent management system 106 upon completion of installation of theclient-side application and content management system 106 can thenauthorize the client-side application to login to the identifiedaccount.

In some embodiments, content management system 106 can require data inaddition to the tagged data to pre-authorize the client-side applicationto access the user account. For example, if a user shares the lightinstaller downloaded to client device 102 _(i) with a friend, the userwould not want the friend to be pre-authorized to access the user's useraccount. Accordingly, content management system 106 can requireadditional information to determine that the client-side application isinstalled on the appropriate user's client device.

In some embodiments, content management system 106 can require anauthorization that the client device installing the client-sideapplication is the same client device that the light installer wasinitially downloaded to. For example, client installation module 136 canbe configured to tag the light installer with data identifying therequesting client device. Thus, if a request is received from clientdevice 102 _(i), client installation module 136 can tag the lightinstaller with data identifying client device 102 _(i) as well as theuser account. The light installer can then transmit the data identifyingclient device 102 _(i) to content management system 106 wheninstallation of the client-side application is completed. Contentmanagement system 106 can then condition pre-authorization based onwhether the client device that installed the client-side applicationmatches the client device identified by the tagged data.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary method embodiment of a content managementsystem tagging a light installer for a requesting client device. Asshown, the method begins at block 205 where the content managementsystem receives an installation request from a client device. Theinstallation request can be a request to install a client-sideapplication on the client device. For example, the request can bereceived as a result of a user selecting to install the client-sideapplication using a web browser or app store application to communicatewith the content management system.

Upon receiving the installation request, the method continues to block210 where the content management system determines whether therequesting client device is associated with an existing user account onthe content management system. In some embodiments, the contentmanagement system can determine if the client device is currently loggedinto a user account through, for example, a web browser application.Alternatively, in some embodiments, an identifier identifying the clientdevice can be used to search for any user accounts authorized on theclient device.

If at block 210 it is determined that a user account is associated withthe requesting client device, the method continues to block 215 where alight installer configured to install the client-side application istagged by the content management system. Tagging the light installer caninclude embedding data into the light installer. For example, the lightinstaller can be tagged with data identifying the user accountassociated with the client device, such as a unique account identifierAlternatively, login data associated with the account such as the user'slogin can be embedded in the light installer.

In addition to data identifying the user account, the light installercan be tagged with data identifying the client device. For example, aunique device identifier for the client device can be embedded in thelight installer.

The method then continues to block 220 where the content managementsystem transmits the tagged light installer to the requesting device. Ifat block 210 it is determined that a user account is not associated withthe client device or a user account with the client device cannot beidentified, the method continues to block 220 where the light installeris transmitted to the client device without any tagged data.Alternatively, in some embodiments, the light installer can be taggedwith data indicating that a user account is not associated with theclient device. The method then ends.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary method embodiment of a client deviceinstalling a client-side application from a content management systemusing a light installer. As shown, the method begins at block 305 wherean installation request is transmitted to the content management system.The installation request can be transmitted in response to a userselecting to download the client-side application. In some embodiments,the installation request can include data such as a unique deviceidentifier identifying the client device or account credentials.

Upon transmitting the installation request, the method continues toblock 310 where a light installer is received from the contentmanagement system. The light installer can be an application configuredto install the client-side application on the client device.

The method then continues to block 315 where the client device executesthe light installer. The method then continues to block 320 where thelight installer prompts the user for data based on any data tagged tothe light installer. Prompting the user for data can include providingthe user with a user interface where the user can enter requested data.In some cases, the user interface presented can be varied based on thetagged data. For example, some fields of the data interface can bepre-populated with tagged data, such as a user login or e-mail addressassociated with a user account associated with the client device. Inanother example, if the light installer is tagged with data indicatingthat the client device is associated with an existing user account, theuser can be prompted to enter a user name and password for an existinguser account. Alternatively, if the light installer is tagged dataindicating that an existing user account could not be identified, theuser can be prompted to create a new user account.

The method then continues to block 325 where the requested user data isreceived from the user. The method then continues to block 330 where theclient device presents an interface prompting the user for authorizationto install the client-side application. This can include requestingadmin rights for the light installer that can enable the light installerto install the client-side application without further authorizationfrom the user.

At block 335 it is determined if the requested authorization isreceived. If the requested authorization is not received, the methodends without the client-side application being installed on the clientdevice. Alternatively, if at block 335 the requested authorization isreceived, the method continues to block 340 where the client-sideapplication is installed. This can include requesting data from thecontent management system, creating application directories on theclient device, and installing the client-side application on the clientdevice.

After the client-side application is installed, the method continues toblock 345 where the client-side application is executed. The method thencontinues to block 350 where it is determined whether the client-sideapplication can be pre-authorized. For example, if the light installerwas tagged with data identifying a user account, the client-sideapplication can be pre-authorized, resulting in the client sideapplication being automatically logged into the user account.

If at block 350 it is determined that the client-side application cannotbe pre-authorized, the method continues to block 355 where the user isprompted for a user name and login and the method ends. Alternatively,if at block 350 it is determined that the client-side application can bepre-authorized, the method continues to block 360 where apre-authorization request is transmitted to the content managementsystem. The pre-authorization request can include the data tagged to thelight installer as well as additional data such as a device identifieridentifying the client device.

If at block 365 it is determined that the pre-authorization request hasbeen granted, the method continues to block 370 where the client-sideapplication is logged into and given access to the user account and themethod then ends. Alternatively, if at block 365 it is determined thatthe pre-authorization request has been denied, the method continues toblock 355 where the user is prompted to enter a user name and passwordand the method then ends.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary method embodiment of a content managementsystem granting a client-side application pre-authorization to a useraccount. As shown, the method begins at block 405 where apre-authorization request is received from a client device. Thepre-authorization request can be a request to pre-authorize aclient-side application installed on the client device to log in to andaccess a user account on the content management system without requiringthe user to enter login credentials.

The pre-authorization request can include data identifying therequesting client device, such as a device identifier. Further thepre-authorization request can include data tagged in a light installerused to install the client-side application on the client device. Thiscan include an account identifier identifying a user account associatedwith the client device that originally downloaded the light installerfrom the content management system as well as a device identifieridentifying the client device that originally downloaded the lightinstaller.

At block 410 it is determined if the client device from which thepre-authorization request was received matches the client device thatoriginally downloaded the light installer. If at block 410 it isdetermined that the client device from which the pre-authorizationrequest was received matches the client device that originallydownloaded the light installer, the method continues to block 415 wherethe pre-authorization request is approved and the method ends.Alternatively, if at block 410 it is determined that the client devicefrom which the pre-authorization request was received does not match theclient device that originally downloaded the light installer, the methodcontinues to block 420 where the pre-authorization request is denied andthe method ends.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show exemplary possible system embodiments. The moreappropriate embodiment will be apparent to those of ordinary skill inthe art when practicing the present technology. Persons of ordinaryskill in the art will also readily appreciate that other systemembodiments are possible.

FIG. 5A illustrates a conventional system bus computing systemarchitecture 500 wherein the components of the system are in electricalcommunication with each other using a bus 505. Exemplary system 500includes a processing unit (CPU or processor) 510 and a system bus 505that couples various system components including the system memory 515,such as read only memory (ROM) 520 and random access memory (RAM) 525,to the processor 510. The system 500 can include a cache of high-speedmemory connected directly with, in close proximity to, or integrated aspart of the processor 510. The system 500 can copy data from the memory515 and/or the storage device 530 to the cache 512 for quick access bythe processor 510. In this way, the cache can provide a performanceboost that avoids processor 510 delays while waiting for data. These andother modules can control or be configured to control the processor 510to perform various actions. Other system memory 515 may be available foruse as well. The memory 515 can include multiple different types ofmemory with different performance characteristics. The processor 510 caninclude any general purpose processor and a hardware module or softwaremodule, such as module 1 532, module 2 534, and module 3 536 stored instorage device 530, configured to control the processor 510 as well as aspecial-purpose processor where software instructions are incorporatedinto the actual processor design. The processor 510 may essentially be acompletely self-contained computing system, containing multiple cores orprocessors, a bus, memory controller, cache, etc. A multi-core processormay be symmetric or asymmetric.

To enable user interaction with the computing device 500, an inputdevice 545 can represent any number of input mechanisms, such as amicrophone for speech, a touch-sensitive screen for gesture or graphicalinput, keyboard, mouse, motion input, speech and so forth. An outputdevice 535 can also be one or more of a number of output mechanismsknown to those of skill in the art. In some instances, multimodalsystems can enable a user to provide multiple types of input tocommunicate with the computing device 500. The communications interface540 can generally govern and manage the user input and system output.There is no restriction on operating on any particular hardwarearrangement and therefore the basic features here may easily besubstituted for improved hardware or firmware arrangements as they aredeveloped.

Storage device 530 is a non-volatile memory and can be a hard disk orother types of computer readable media which can store data that areaccessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memorycards, solid state memory devices, digital versatile disks, cartridges,random access memories (RAMs) 525, read only memory (ROM) 520, andhybrids thereof.

The storage device 530 can include software modules 532, 534, 536 forcontrolling the processor 510. Other hardware or software modules arecontemplated. The storage device 530 can be connected to the system bus505. In one aspect, a hardware module that performs a particularfunction can include the software component stored in acomputer-readable medium in connection with the necessary hardwarecomponents, such as the processor 510, bus 505, display 535, and soforth, to carry out the function.

FIG. 5B illustrates a computer system 550 having a chipset architecturethat can be used in executing the described method and generating anddisplaying a graphical user interface (GUI). Computer system 550 is anexample of computer hardware, software, and firmware that can be used toimplement the disclosed technology. System 550 can include a processor555, representative of any number of physically and/or logicallydistinct resources capable of executing software, firmware, and hardwareconfigured to perform identified computations. Processor 555 cancommunicate with a chipset 560 that can control input to and output fromprocessor 555. In this example, chipset 560 outputs information tooutput 565, such as a display, and can read and write information tostorage device 570, which can include magnetic media, and solid statemedia, for example. Chipset 560 can also read data from and write datato RAM 575. A bridge 580 for interfacing with a variety of userinterface components 585 can be provided for interfacing with chipset560. Such user interface components 585 can include a keyboard, amicrophone, touch detection and processing circuitry, a pointing device,such as a mouse, and so on. In general, inputs to system 550 can comefrom any of a variety of sources, machine generated and/or humangenerated.

Chipset 560 can also interface with one or more communication interfaces590 that can have different physical interfaces. Such communicationinterfaces can include interfaces for wired and wireless local areanetworks, for broadband wireless networks, as well as personal areanetworks. Some applications of the methods for generating, displaying,and using the GUI disclosed herein can include receiving ordereddatasets over the physical interface or be generated by the machineitself by processor 555 analyzing data stored in storage 570 or 575.Further, the machine can receive inputs from a user via user interfacecomponents 585 and execute appropriate functions, such as browsingfunctions by interpreting these inputs using processor 555.

It can be appreciated that exemplary systems 500 and 550 can have morethan one processor 510 or be part of a group or cluster of computingdevices networked together to provide greater processing capability.

For clarity of explanation, in some instances the present technology maybe presented as including individual functional blocks includingfunctional blocks comprising devices, device components, steps orroutines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of hardwareand software.

In some embodiments the computer-readable storage devices, mediums, andmemories can include a cable or wireless signal containing a bit streamand the like. However, when mentioned, non-transitory computer-readablestorage media expressly exclude media such as energy, carrier signals,electromagnetic waves, and signals per se.

Methods according to the above-described examples can be implementedusing computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwiseavailable from computer readable media. Such instructions can comprise,for example, instructions and data which cause or otherwise configure ageneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purposeprocessing device to perform a certain function or group of functions.Portions of computer resources used can be accessible over a network.The computer executable instructions may be, for example, binaries,intermediate format instructions such as assembly language, firmware, orsource code. Examples of computer-readable media that may be used tostore instructions, information used, and/or information created duringmethods according to described examples include magnetic or opticaldisks, flash memory, USB devices provided with non-volatile memory,networked storage devices, and so on.

Devices implementing methods according to these disclosures can comprisehardware, firmware and/or software, and can take any of a variety ofform factors. Typical examples of such form factors include laptops,smart phones, small form factor personal computers, personal digitalassistants, and so on. Functionality described herein also can beembodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Such functionality can also beimplemented on a circuit board among different chips or differentprocesses executing in a single device, by way of further example.

The instructions, media for conveying such instructions, computingresources for executing them, and other structures for supporting suchcomputing resources are means for providing the functions described inthese disclosures.

Although a variety of examples and other information was used to explainaspects within the scope of the appended claims, no limitation of theclaims should be implied based on particular features or arrangements insuch examples, as one of ordinary skill would be able to use theseexamples to derive a wide variety of implementations. Further andalthough some subject matter may have been described in languagespecific to examples of structural features and/or method steps, it isto be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claimsis not necessarily limited to these described features or acts. Forexample, such functionality can be distributed differently or performedin components other than those identified herein. Rather, the describedfeatures and steps are disclosed as examples of components of systemsand methods within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by aprocessor, an installation request from a client device to install aclient-side application on the client device; determining, by theprocessor, whether the client device is associated with an existing useraccount by determining whether the client device is logged into a useraccount when the installation request was received from the clientdevice; and when the client device is currently logged into a useraccount, determining that the user account is an existing user accountassociated with the client device; when the client device is associatedwith an existing user account, tagging, by the processor, a lightinstaller with an account identifier identifying the existing useraccount associated with the client device and tagging, by the processor,a device identifier identifying the client device, wherein the lightinstaller is configured to: prompt a user for user data andauthorization necessary to complete installation of the client-sideapplication, and download and install the client-side application on theclient device; transmitting, by the processor, the light installertagged with the account identifier and the device identifier to theclient device; receiving, from a requesting client device, apre-authorization request, the pre-authorization request including theaccount identifier tagged to the light installer; determining whetherthe requesting client device from which the pre-authorization requestwas received is the client device that originally received the lightinstaller by comparing the device identifier tagged to the lightinstaller to a second device identifier identifying the requestingclient device; and when the device identifier tagged to the lightinstaller matches the second device identifier identifying therequesting client, determining that the requesting client device fromwhich the pre-authorization request was received is the client devicethat originally received the light installer; and when the requestingclient device is the client device that originally received the lightinstaller, granting the pre-authorization request.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the client device, adownload request to download data necessary to install the client-sideapplication, the download request transmitted by the light installerexecuted on the client device; and transmitting, to the client device,the data necessary to install the client-side application, wherein thedata necessary to install the client-side application is used by thelight installer to install the client-side application upon the clientdevice receiving the data necessary to install the client-sideapplication.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprises: receiving,from the client device, progress report message including the accountidentifier tagged to the light installer, the progress report messageindicating a current state of installation of the client-sideapplication on the client device; and associating the progress reportmessage with the user account identified by the account identifier. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein granting the pre-authorization requestcomprises granting the requesting client device access to the useraccount identified by the account identifier.
 5. A system comprising: aprocessor; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed,cause the processor to: receive an installation request from a clientdevice to install a client-side application on the client device;determine whether the client device is associated with an existing useraccount by determining whether the client device is logged into a useraccount when the installation request was received from the clientdevice; and when the client device is currently logged into a useraccount, determining that the user account is an existing user accountassociated with the client device; when the client device is associatedwith an existing user account, tag a light installer with an accountidentifier identifying the existing user account associated with theclient device and tag a device identifier identifying the client device,wherein the light installer is configured to: prompt a user for userdata and authorization necessary to complete installation of theclient-side application, and download and install the client-sideapplication on the client device; transmit the light installer taggedwith the account identifier to the client device; receive, from arequesting client device, a pre-authorization request, thepre-authorization request including the account identifier tagged to thelight installer; determine whether the requesting client device fromwhich the pre-authorization request was received is the client devicethat originally received the light installer by comparing the deviceidentifier tagged to the light installer to a second device identifieridentifying the requesting client device; and when the device identifiertagged to the light installer matches the second device identifieridentifying the requesting client, determining that the requestingclient device from which the pre-authorization request was received isthe client device that originally received the light installer; and whenthe requesting client device is the client device that originallyreceived the light installer, grant the pre-authorization request. 6.The system of claim 5, wherein the instructions further cause theprocessor to: receive a download request to download data necessary toinstall the client-side application, the download request transmitted bythe light installer executed on the client device; and transmit, to theclient device, the data necessary to install the client-sideapplication, wherein the data necessary to install the client-sideapplication is used by the light installer to install the client-sideapplication upon the client device receiving the data necessary toinstall the client-side application.
 7. The system of claim 5, whereinthe instructions further cause the processor to: receive, from theclient device, a progress report message including the accountidentifier tagged to the light installer, the progress report messageindicating a current state of installation of the client-sideapplication on the client device; and associate the progress reportmessage with the user account identified by the account identifier. 8.The system of claim 5, wherein granting the pre-authorization requestcomprises granting the requesting client device access to the useraccount identified by the account identifier.
 9. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed bya computing device, cause the computing device to: receive aninstallation request from a client device to install a client-sideapplication on the client device; determine whether the client device isassociated with an existing user account by determining whether theclient device is logged into a user account when the installationrequest was received from the client device; and when the client deviceis currently logged into a user account, determining that the useraccount is an existing user account associated with the client device;when the client device is associated with an existing user account, taga light installer with an account identifier identifying the existinguser account associated with the client device and tag a deviceidentifier identifying the client device, wherein the light installer isconfigured to: prompt a user for user data and authorization necessaryto complete installation of the client-side application, and downloadand install the client-side application on the client device; transmitthe light installer tagged with the account identifier and the deviceidentifier to the client device; receive, from a requesting clientdevice, a pre-authorization request, the pre-authorization requestincluding the account identifier tagged to the light installer;determine whether the requesting client device from which thepre-authorization request was received is the client device thatoriginally received the light installer by comparing the deviceidentifier tagged to the light installer to a second device identifieridentifying the requesting client device; and when the device identifiertagged to the light installer matches the second device identifieridentifying the requesting client, determining that the requestingclient device from which the pre-authorization request was received isthe client device that originally received the light installer; and whenthe requesting client device is the client device that originallyreceived the light installer, granting the pre-authorization request.10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein theinstructions further cause the computing device to: receive, from theclient device, a download request to download data necessary to installthe client-side application, the download request transmitted by thelight installer executed on the client device; and transmit, to theclient device, the data necessary to install the client-sideapplication, wherein the data necessary to install the client-sideapplication is used by the light installer to install the client-sideapplication upon the client device receiving the data necessary toinstall the client-side application.
 11. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions furthercause the computing device to: receive, from the client device, progressreport message including the account identifier tagged to the lightinstaller, the progress report message indicating a current state ofinstallation of the client-side application on the client device; andassociate the progress report message with the user account identifiedby the account identifier.